The Tom Schieber Team

08/06/2026

Here's a question that stops most people cold: can a home sell for less than it did in 2021 and still cost the buyer more every month?

It can. And once you see the numbers, you'll understand this market completely differently.

I recently sat down with a Brentwood seller who paid $950K back in 2021. He was bracing for bad news — listing today around $900K, roughly 5% below what he paid, and worried he'd bought at the top. But the sale price only tells half the story.

His 2021 buyer locked in a 2.9% rate. Today's buyer, even paying $50K less, is looking at 6.5% — about $1,150 more per month. The price dropped. The cost went up.

If you've been holding off because you think you'll "sell for less," let's talk about what that number actually means for your next move. There's more room here than you'd expect. 💬

The link to the full story is in the comments.

07/07/2026

Four years of a slow market, rates finally dipping into the 5s in February... and then the U.S.-Iran conflict happened, oil spiked, and mortgage rates jumped back over 6.5%. So much for the spring rebound I was expecting. 😅

I got curious whether that was just how it felt or what the numbers actually showed — so I pulled every Brentwood home that's sold or gone pending since April 1st.

Here's what stood out:
🏡 Homes priced right the first time are selling in about 2 weeks, at basically full price

📉 But almost 1 in 3 sellers had to cut their price — and those homes took 4x longer to close

🌅 Brentwood's two 55+ communities are telling very different stories right now — Summerset's staying brisk, Trilogy's got more competition among sellers

Full breakdown (with the actual numbers, not just vibes) is on the blog — link in comments 👇

Whether you're thinking about buying, selling, or just want to know what your home's worth in this market, happy to talk it through. No pressure, just real answers.

06/22/2026

Thinking about selling your Brentwood home? Your agent's zip code matters more than you'd think.
When you're selling a home you've lived in for 15, 20, or 30 years, your agent is making decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of dollars of your equity. Yet so many East Contra Costa County homes get listed by agents who live an hour away — agents who can run a transaction but don't actually know this market.
In my latest blog post, I break down what "local" really buys you:
✅ Pricing block by block — not a one-mile radius average
✅ Knowing which disclosures surface in which neighborhoods before they stall escrow
✅ Local issues like Mello-Roos bonds, Delta flood zones, and 55+ community rules
✅ 20+ years of relationships with contractors, inspectors, and title reps who move fast
Brentwood isn't one market — it's a patchwork. Trilogy at the Vineyards, Summerset, Shadow Lakes, Deer Ridge, and older central Brentwood all trade differently. An agent who doesn't know that can overprice your home into a stale listing or hand your equity to the buyer.
I also share the exact questions to ask before you sign a listing agreement.
📖 Read it here:

A local Brentwood CA agent knows the disclosures, comps, and risks an out-of-town agent can miss. Here's why it matters when you sell. Top Local Brentwood real estate agent.

06/10/2026

Remember when you could list your Brentwood home on a Thursday and be choosing between five offers by Sunday? 🏡

Those days are on pause.

Inventory is up. Homes are taking longer to sell. Buyers have time to compare again — and that means how your home shows matters more than it has in years.

Here's the formula I've watched win over and over in 20+ years selling in Brentwood: the sellers move out, we refresh with paint and carpet, clean up and handle small repairs, bring in a stager, and price it to sell. When all four come together, the offers follow. It's not luck. It's preparation.

The numbers back it up — in 2025, nearly half of sellers' agents said staging shortened time on the market, and about a third saw higher offers.

I just wrote an honest, no-hype breakdown of why staging works in today's market and what's actually worth doing before you list. 👇

📖 Read it on the blog (link in comments)
📞 Or call/text me at (925) 487-3172 — let's talk through what's next.

What's the one thing holding you back from making your move? Drop it below. 👇

06/01/2026

Remember when you could list your Brentwood home on a Thursday and be picking between five offers by Sunday? 🏡
Those days are on pause.
Inventory is up. Homes are taking around 56 days to sell. Buyers have room to negotiate again. If you're thinking about selling in 2026, the old playbook won't cut it.
Here's the good news: well-priced, well-prepared homes are still selling at strong prices. The sellers who win right now aren't lucky — they just price it right from day one and don't waste those critical first two weeks on the market.
I just wrote up an honest breakdown of what the Brentwood market is actually doing in 2026, whether now is your time to sell, and how to do it right in a balanced market. No hype, no pressure — just a straight read from someone who's been doing this in East Contra Costa County for 20+ years.
👉 Read it on the blog (link in comments)
📞 Or just call/text me at (925) 487-3172 and let's talk through your "what's next."
What's the one thing holding you back from making your move? Drop it below — happy to weigh in. 👇

05/13/2026

Five bedrooms. Four full baths. A junior suite. And everything under $900K in Brentwood.

2004 Mint Drive is the floor plan move-up buyers keep saying they can't find — and here it is. Full bed and bath downstairs for guests or multigenerational living. A dedicated den for a home office. A loft upstairs for the kids to claim as their own. The primary suite you've been waiting for.

All of it sitting on a 9,000 square foot lot, right in the heart of Brentwood — off O'Hara, with easy access to downtown, the Lone Tree Corridor, Highway 4, and Sand Creek Road.

This isn't a compromise home. It's the one you grow into.

DM me to schedule a showing or tap the link in the comments to view more details on the website.

04/29/2026

Just posted something for anyone who has been thinking about leaving Brentwood — not because anything is wrong, but because somewhere else is calling. There's a real framework for making this move work without the chaos. Link below.

04/20/2026

Thinking about buying or selling in Trilogy at The Vineyards?

This Brentwood 55+ community has its own pricing trends, buyer demand, and timing considerations that can differ from the broader market.

I recently put together a practical local guide for homeowners and buyers considering their next move in Trilogy.

If this community is part of your next chapter, the article link is in the comments below.

04/15/2026

Twenty years ago, C and I moved to Brentwood to raise our family. We weren't alone — a lot of our neighbors did the same thing around that time. And now, a lot of those same neighbors are calling me.

The kids are grown. The grandkids are in Idaho or Arizona. The house has more bedrooms than they need. And they're asking: what do we do next?

It's one of the most meaningful conversations I get to have as a real estate agent — because I'm living the same chapter. I understand the equity you've built, the memories tied up in that house, and the logistics of figuring out where life takes you next.

I just published a guide for long-time Brentwood homeowners who are thinking about downsizing — whether that means relocating out of state to be near family, or transitioning into a community like Trilogy or Summerset.

It covers the tax considerations most agents don't bring up, how to prepare a home after 20 years of living in it, and how to coordinate a sale with a cross-country move.

👉 Link in the comments.

Have you been thinking about this transition? Or do you know someone who is? Drop a comment or send me a message — happy to talk through it.

04/06/2026

One of the most underused tools in a real estate transaction — especially for anyone who is selling and buying at the same time. Just posted a practical breakdown of how rent-backs actually work, what they cost, and how to use them without getting burned.

https://tomschieberteam.com/blog/rent-back-agreements-in-california-real-estate-a-practical-guide-for-sellers-who-are-also-buying